Leveling of slit metal, such as steel is a recognized concept which is useful in removing bends, bumps, burrs and other flaws in the steel strip prior to recoiling. Leveling can also serve to even out differences in thickness of the steel along the strip. The basic concept of leveling can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,101.
One basic flaw in current levelers of this sort is the inability of the machine to compensate for large variances in steel thickness, or gauge. Currently, levelers include only a single size of leveling roller which has a limited gauge capacity. To accommodate a large number of gauges of steel, several machines were required, or the leveling rollers had to be replaced. Neither alternative is acceptable from a downtime or cost standpoint.